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For more information on the 2003 boys Warriors team, contact our head coach and check us out on social media:

Some people call it “heart,” some “desire,” and some “effort.” I choose to call it “belief.” The belief our U15 Premier team had in themselves and their teammates to come back in a match twice from being a goal down to not only come back to win 3-2, but to shutout the opponent again in the second half. This was how we ended a great two days of soccer in Columbia, MD.

In a weekend these boys will not soon forget, we faced it all. First, we went up against a talented, highly-ranked team and came away with a tie. Then, we ended Day One with a winning goal in the last second. Day Two began with an early goal and win against a squad that played with heart. Then we ended in high fashion, facing a big, fast, and very physical team and winning it on a late PK.

None of that seemed to top the smiles when the boys met the Southampton representatives and stood on the podium to get pictures with their medals. Well…maybe it was exceeded by the pride shown on the parents’ faces.

Yesterday, we faced Haverford—a team that is currently ranked 100 places above us in GotSoccer rankings. Let me repeat that 100 places above us. Based on that, we should not have been competitive with them. However, we played with great heart and effort, but in the end, we came up short on two soft goals. As coaches, Ed and I are so proud of this team, and the way the team played on Sunday means so much to us.

We are still very young as a squad; we’re going through normal growing pains, enduring injuries, and learning how to perform as a team and not individuals. However, I see this team improve each week. I look forward to getting Tony Colucci back from his injury and possibly adding our 15th player in mid-October when school ball ends.

Yesterday, for the first time, we started our move from a counter-attacking team (which we put into place until we became comfortable with each other and our 4-3-3 system) to a more possession-orientated squad. The team played outstanding ball against a very high-quality, technical squad with Aidan Cleary named as our outstanding player of the match.

Ed and I are pleased with the performance but also understand we have a long way to go, especially in terms of becoming more patient in the offensive third. This will come with training and time.

Looking forward, the team has a very good draw this weekend at the YMS Columbus Cup tournament and has an excellent chance of winning all three matches, if the boys continue to play together.

Every coach trains their players to win. Every coach wants their team to win. Every coach goes into a game believing their team will win. But no coach can win every game.

So to me, it’s not whether we win or lose, it’s about how we perform. The team can win 3-1 but not play the right way, and I will not be happy. However, they may lose 1-3, and I will be pleased with how they performed. That is certainly how I feel about Saturday's match. The boys were great, they played a STACKED squad that went all out to win, and we outplayed them at every turn.

We dictated play and possession and fought through more injuries and exhaustion to compete. Ed and I have worked very hard to put together a system that takes advantage of each player’s strengths. However, due to vacations, injuries, and school ball, the boys have not been able to learn their individual roles and responsibilities, but they try to understand the 3 or 4 different positions they have to play in a match. I guarantee you that is not an easy thing to do. Yet, they are doing it.

Our player of the match was Justin Noel, who played fantastic in not permitting WMU to play possession. He fought and won almost every 50/50 ball. Job well done.

We gave up two corners (which we have not worked much on defending, but we will) and a last-minute breakaway when all were pushed up to equalize.

All of this will turn into victory and success as we continue to move forward. We are new and facing established premier teams. We will get there with practice and determination. Haverford will be another strong test as they are ranked #32, but we believe we can win.

First, I’d like to say how proud we are of the team and the effort they put into the opening weekend matches of the 2017-18 season.

We are a brand new squad playing against premier teams that are already established. We will probably not face a team ranked below us all season and some will be in the top 25. We are building a long-term program and are not looking for immediate, easy results. That being said, we are excited about the start we’ve had. In the four full games we have played, the Warriors are 2-2, winning 3-2 and 3-1 and falling 2-3 and 0-4. That is a fantastic beginning based on the opposition.

On Saturday, September 16, the team had a wake-up call, getting down by one goal early on, but eventually coming back to dominate for the win. Offensively, we posted 20 shots, 10 of which were on goal. Davis Myer finished twice, and Justin Noel scored off a perfect header. All three goals came from assists by our player of the game, Justin Collings. The defense played their best match of the early season by allowing only three shots.

The following day, we again started slowly and paid the price against a deep, physical, and talented team. The Warriors came out after half time and played up to their potential, dominating play and firing off three excellent opportunities but were not able to convert into goals. Our player of the match was Aidan Cleary, who played almost everywhere in the game and performed each role very well.

This team will add quality players as they become available and see the progress that the Methacton United Warriors will continue to make. We are pleased to have 14 players that are starters and look
forward to coaching them to future successes—as individuals and as a team.

Next Saturday, September 23, we play West Mont United, which means something extra to four players and both coaches, as we were part of that club last year. We’ll be ready for this next challenge, as the Warriors continue to show determination, grit, and a willingness to persevere, even in the face of adversity and injuries.

As of Saturday, August 5, we are only three weeks away from our initial competition in the Gettysburg Battlefield Blast Tournament. In our final preparations, we face two U15 squads next week--FC Providence at home on August 8, and then on the road at Towemincin on August 10. We will then have 4 training sessions to solidify our system.

On the Battlefield Blast Tournament, we are one of 17 teams entered. The other teams include 8 from Pennsylvania, 7 from Maryland, and 1 from Virginia. The schedules will be posted on August 11th. We will have 3 seeding games lasting 25 minutes each and then a full time bracket game on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, we will have our 2 final bracket games. Good conditioning is going to be very important in our success.